Check ball guide for flush tanks



Oct. 26, 1954 J SAUPPEE 2,692,393

CHECK BALL GUIDE FOR FLUSH TANKS Filed April 14, 1952 INVENTOR. BENTON J. 5AUPPEE BY @Mkh ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 26, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in guide means for the accurate seating of the conventional discharge flush valve as employed in toilet flush tanks.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple and inexpensive guide means that is easily and quickly inserted into the discharge pipe to be positioned at an elevation permitting free and uninterrupted seating f the ball valve and which will remain rigidly in accurate guiding position to be traversed by an elongated extension of the conventional ball trip rod.

Difiiculty has been experienced with the conventional flush valves, due primaril to a poor seating alignment caused in most instances by the surging action of the water entering the discharge pipe and this surging action, as the water level gets low enough, causes the check ball to engage the valve seat in any position of off balance it may happen to be in at the moment and the ball is held against further movement by the infiowing water and cannot adjust itself to a proper seat, resulting in various degrees of leakage that are expensive from the standpoint of water cost and frequently result in flooding of septic tanks.

The important object of the present invention resides in the provision of a very simple guide device formed of a continuous section. of preferably hard copper Wire that is shaped in a manner to readily conform to the inner walls of the discharge pipe, has no projections'that will interfere with its installation, is easily compressible to, facilitate its entry into the pipe and presents a centrally disposed circular guide ring for an in-.

tegral extension formed on the trip rod and which is of such length that the extension cannot rise above the guide ring even at the maximum ele-,

vation of the ball valve. Th guide device thus provides a guide for accurately guiding the ball valve to a proper seat with the guide ring being always center with respect to the discharge pipe.

Further novel features of th invention will be readily apparent during the course of the following description, referenc being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein has been illustrated a preferred example of the device and wherein like characters of reference are employed to denote like parts throughout.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view, parts in elevation,'of a conventiona1 discharge pipe and associated elements, showing the invention applied thereto,

Figure 2 is a horizontal section, taken on line 2-2 of Figure l, and,

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the guide device.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the numeral designates a conventional discharge flush pipe, coupled to the usual vitreous tank 5, by the usual gaskets and ring nut, as clearly shown in Figure 1. At itsupper end, the pipe 5 is provided with the usual tapered seat I, for the seating reception of the conventional rubber flush valve 8. An overflow pipe 9 is connected to the coupling in the usual and well known manner and has connection with a passage l0, communicating with the interior of the pipe 5, below the seat I. A special trip rod II is provided at its upper end with an eye I2 and partakes of vertical movement in a guide arm I3, fixed upon the overflow pipe 9. The rod II is threaded, as at I4 for threaded engagement with a metallic stud I5,

molded into the neck extension of the ball 8 cen-,

trally and axially thereof. Below the threads I4, the rod is reduced in diameter and projects downwardly through the usual open bottom of the ball to engage and traverse the guide ring, to be described.

The guide device of the present invention is in-' dicated as a whole by the numeral I6'and is prefrably formed of a continuous section of relatively hard, non-rustable wire, such as copper. The

wire is bent and shaped to provide a circular loop in a straight line, as shown and, at its lower end.

is bent laterally and continuously to form a plurality of vertically disposed zig-zag sections 22.

'The terminal end of the wire section I9 from the last section 22, is bent upward to be perpendicularly disposed, as at 23. The several sections 263 and 22 and the ends 2| and 23, ar in cylindrical shape from the top plan view thereof and are so shaped to conform to the cylindrical wall of the pipe 5; The guide loop I! is axially disposed with respect to the cylindrical shape of the guide device It and axially disposed with respect to the pipe 5.

In the use of the device, the operator first removes the ball valve 3, by unscrewing the trip rod connected therewith. The trip rod that has been removed, is discarded. The improved trip rod II is then connected with the ball 8, by forcing the lower extension through the rubber section beneath the stud I5 until the threaded section I4 engages the threads of the stud I 5, at which time it is threaded into position and axially positions the trip rod and its extension with the ball. Prior to the installation of the trip rod and ball, the uide device I6 is inserted into the discharge pipe 5, by compressing the guide sufiiciently to permit its entry. Compressing of the guide is made possible by the inclination of the wire sections l8 and I 9, asit will be apparent, that by grasping the secin the opening of the passage I or possibly catch upon some rough or uneven projections of imperfect castings. The zig-zag sections will override any imperfections in the casting and assure that the guide Will have a firm gripping engage-v ment with the inner wall of the pipe throughout its circumference and prevent any tendency for the guide to rock or become cocked in the pipe, thus assuring that the guide loop will be maintained in the central and accurate guiding position at all times. After the guide It has been installed, the rod II is removed from the ball 8,

trained through the guide I3 and then again inserted through and threaded to the stud l5, after which the device is ready for operation.

It will be apparent from the foregoing, that a very simple and highly efiective guide has been.

provided for the accurate guided seating of the ball check 8. The device is easily installed, offers no impediment to the free flow of the water, is extremely cheap to manufacture, is strong, durable and greatly extends the useful life of the conventional ball valve. The loop I! offers no'obstacle to the free operation of the ball at all times, but assures that the ball cannot partake of sufiicient lateral motion to interfere with an accurate and positive seating upon the valve seat 1. The expansion of the guide upon insertion and release is substantially equal in all directions against the wall of the pipe 5, thus assuring an axial centering of the guide ring under all conditions of irregularity of the inner wall of the pipe.

Changes are contemplated in the shape and arrangement of parts as readily fall within the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A flush tank coupling that includes a valve seat, a discharge pipe axially of the seat and a ball check valve to engage the seat, the valve being open at its bottom and provided with an upstanding neck that is axiall disposed with the ball valve, a threaded stud embedded in the neck, an elongated trip rod that passes entirely through the ball and has threaded engagement with the stud, the lower portion of the rod extending downwardly axially of the ball to a predetermined depth in the discharge pipe, a guide device for the lower extended rod to guide the ball valve to a proper seat, embodying a cage-like device that is formed of a continuous section of wire and provided centrally thereof with a guide rin to be traversed by the rod extension, the guide bent to provide a plurality of relatively wide zig-zag sections shaped to cylindrical form in top plan, the guide being equally compressible throughout the circumference of the cage for insertion in the discharge pipe below the valve seat, the zig-zag sections having an equal bearing upon the side wall of the pipe throughout their length to maintain the guide ring centrally and axially of the pipe for guiding traverse of the rod extension.

2. In combination with a water discharge coupling and a check valve for toilet flush tanks, the coupling having a valve seat for the reception of the ball and an axially disposed depending discharge pipe, a resilient ball valve to engage the 4 seat, the valve having an axially threaded stud molded in its top centrally and axially thereof, an elongated trip rod for the ball that is threaded substantially intermediate its length for threaded engagement with the stud, the" rod extending through the ball and projecting downwardly axially of the ball to terminat in the discharge pipe, a guide device for insertion within the discharge pipe toa point below the lower seating extremity of the ballvalve, a centrally disposed ring guide formed on the guide to be traversed by the lower rod extension throughout the vertical shifting movement of the ball when it is tripped by the rod, the guide device formed from a section of Wire that is bent to provide the ring guide, the wire from the ring guide extending laterally in opposite directions and then shaped to provide a plurality of relatively wide zig-zag sections, the zig-zag sections shaped to cylindrical form in topplan, the zig-zag sections terminating in upstanding straight leg portions, the guide device being simultaneously and equidistantly compressible throughout its circumference for insertion within the discharge pipe with the several zig-zag sections and leg portions having equal binding engagement upon the inner wall of the pipe to pre vent rocking movement of the guide and to maintain the guide ring in a central and axial position with respect to the pipe for guiding traverse of the rod extension.

3. The device as recited in claim 2, wherein the lateral extensions from the guide ring are in clined downwardly to permit the device to be com.- pressed inwardly for insertion within the pipe and to maintain the guide in the central axial posi tion within the pipe.

4. A device of the character described for us with a flush tank coupling having a valve seat, a discharge pipe and a ball check valve, the check valve provided with a trip rod that extends above and below the valve, the rod being in one piece and having threaded engagement with a thread ed stud formed in the valve, a guide device for the lower extension of the trip rod that isv formedfrom a continuous section of wire, the guide device being shaped to form a centrally disposed guide ring, the wire from the guide ring extending laterally from diametrically opposite sides of the ring, the extensions bein inclined downwardly at an abrupt angl and then shaped laterally upon an arc to provide a plurality of zig-zag sections with their terminal ends bent upwardly to form perpendicular legs, the forming of the several zig-zag sections and the terminal legs being upon a cylindrical shape in top plan that has a diameter slightly greater than the inner diameter of the pipe, the inclined extensions and the zig-zag sections permitting the guide to be compressed inwardly throughout its circumfer- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,175,973 Reed Oct. 10, 1939 2,222,856 Robertson Nov. 26, 1940 2,561,877 Limongelli July 24, i 

